| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. | 1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. |
| 2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. | 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. |
| 3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. | 3We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. |
| 4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, | 4Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. |
| 5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: | 5But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: |
| 6whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. | 6Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. |
| 7Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. | 7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. |
| 8At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. | 8Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. |
| 9Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. | 9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. |
| 10Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. | 10Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. |
| 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. | 11But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. |
| 12I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. | 12I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. |
| 13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. | 13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. |
| 14I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. | 14I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. |
| 15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. | 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. |
| 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. | 16For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world. |
| 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. | 17The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. |
| 18Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. | 18Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. |
| 19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. | 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. |
| 20But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. | 20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. |
| 21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. | 21I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. |
| 22Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. | 22Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist--denying the Father and the Son. |
| 23No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. | 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. |
| 24Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. | 24As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. |
| 25And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. | 25And this is what he promised us--eternal life. |
| 26I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. | 26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. |
| 27But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. | 27As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. |
| 28And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. | 28And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. |
| 29If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. | 29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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